Chapter 10: Cheong-ho Bang Headquarters
At Cheong-ho Bang headquarters, Bangju Gok Jeong-pil trembled in his eye sockets, unable to accept the unbelievable reality.
Already!
The sight of his blood-soaked subordinate staggering forward, followed slowly by his men, told the whole story. Every hushed gaze quivered faintly at the man's every move. The warning of death whipped through Gok Jeong-pil's mind. His entranced eyes darted this way and that, desperately seeking answers. By the time inexpressible regret came crashing in like a tidal wave, only one thought remained.
I have to survive. No matter what.
The bangju seat meant nothing to him now. To live, he first had to calm the man's rage. Feigning self-deprecation, he muttered, "I didn't realize it was time for me to step down."
Mu Yun strode forward. No words were needed for someone who deserved death. Just send them off in agony. His wind-charged fist slammed mercilessly into the man's face.
Thud! Crack!
"Gahk!"
Gok Jeong-pil couldn't even blink. Blood sprayed through the air alongside the crunch of shattering facial bones. The raised hand came down again in rapid succession on his cheek and temple.
Whoosh! Smack! Crack!
Blood frothed from his mouth as his body shuddered. "S-spare...! Gahk!"
The hands whipped left and right without respite, each strike echoing brutally.
Whoosh! Crack! Splatter! Smack!
"Gahk! Cough!"
Rough coughs erupted as broken teeth and burst capillaries scattered everywhere. Thump! Crack! "Kuhek!"
Dozens of swings cleaved the air endlessly. In the eyes of all onlookers, the terror of death hung thick—until, at one frozen moment, Gok Jeong-pil's mind went white from the overwhelming agony. His dazed eyes slowly unfocused, and his body slumped limply to the ground.
Thud!
"...!"
The situation was over.
Half a shichen later, the hundred and seventy men scouting Ha Hu Sega and the surrounding black path forces returned. They'd already seen the blood-soaked grounds, with the core bangju faction sprawled dead on the floor. As wary glances turned to knees hitting the dirt one by one, Mu Yun's heavy voice flowed through the courtyard.
"You all know what the former bangju did, so no long speeches. Anyone who wants to step up, do it. Whoever breaks me becomes the new bangju."
"......"
The bang disciples had already pieced it together from the whispers. His hidden strength was at the pinnacle of Il-ryu. No one here could match Mu Yun. When no one stepped forward, Ak Mu-gil strode out. He bowed deeply and raised his voice.
"I, Ak Mu-gil, pledge to serve you as bangju."
Several others surged forward at once. "Me too."
Soon after, the straightforward ceremony of allegiance ended. Mu Yun pulled out all the money the former bangju had hidden and showed it to everyone. He'd done this several times before when purging organizations. First things first: eliminate seeds of discord before the numbers mattered. As long as the organization stood, ways to earn more were endless.
"My first order as bangju: Anyone leaving, step forward now. I'll let you go freely. Severance is ten nyang of silver per vice leader, five for everyone else."
The eyes of those loyal to the old bangju sparkled. Branded traitors or not, their end wouldn't be pretty. And five nyang of silver? Roughly thirty seok of rice—two years' wages for a grunt. A few glanced around and stepped up.
"You really giving us the money?"
Actions spoke louder than words. He tossed pouches matching their numbers.
Thud! Clink!
"You've worked hard. We won't see each other in Chim-ju again."
"Got it."
Then twenty more came forward, took their pay, and bolted. With the courtyard cleared, Mu Yun turned to Ak Mu-gil.
"Guess I should call you vice bangju now?"
"As you wish."
Mu Yun separated the tribute for Jeok-un Mun and handed it to Ak Mu-gil. Nothing calmed the uneasy like this.
"Divide it up as you see fit."
Ak Mu-gil's retort came naturally. This much would give even grunts ten nyang each. Vice leaders, twenty or thirty.
"All of it?"
"We'll earn more."
"...You sure? It'll take ages to rebuild."
"Won't take that long. Don't worry."
"...?"
A while later, the beaming crowd dispersed, leaving only Ak Mu-gil and his siblings. Jeok Myo-ye wore a worried frown. Among themselves, they dropped formalities.
"Bangju, aren't you pushing too hard from the start?"
"Plenty of ways to make money."
"Really?"
"I'll show you right now."
"For real?"
Mu Yun brought up the next task. "Vice bangju and Jung-tak, come with me to Ha Hu's main estate."
"Why there?"
"To exchange these promissory notes and deliver to Jeok-un Mun."
"Why not just hand over the cash?"
"Better if other factions know we're paying tribute."
Yeom Jung-tak let out a small gasp. "Ah! Right. If word spreads that the new bangju paid up immediately, Jeok-un Mun won't try anything funny."
Established black path bosses rarely messed with stable outfits. But a leadership change like this sparked ideas—especially with so many Jeok-un Mun favorites around.
Jeok Myo-ye suddenly voiced another worry. "But is it safe to go now? Maybe wait a bit?"
"Delaying gives them time for schemes. This is best."
From his memories, Jeok-un Munju Seol Do-seung was extremely cautious. Especially now, with all the righteous faction warriors flooding Chim-ju. With types like him, one thing mattered: prove you weren't worth biting later. Too bold, and he'd pounce; too meek, he'd devour you. Best to seem like a harmless pest—annoying if prodded, but ignorable otherwise.
With his current body still unmastered, buying time to build strength and think was priority. That meant eliminating the last threat.
Half a shichen later. Jeok-un Mun, munju's office.
Reports on the situation poured in constantly. Munju Seol Do-seung tilted his head.
Such scraps happened all the time—petty fights between mid-tier thugs. Who won didn't matter; scout the new boss and decide kill or let live. But one thing nagged.
"Ha Hu Sega opened the back gate for them?"
"Yes, brother. I'll dig more, but probably Mu Yun begged for mercy, saying he had righteous faction friends. Seems weaker than he looks."
"Still odd. Would Sogaju Ha Hu Cheon-gi help someone who shamed him?"
"What choice did he have right then?"
"Dig deeper. Something feels off."
"Got it."
A voice called from outside. "Munju-nim, Mu Yun's here with just two men."
Seol Do-seung's eyes turned icy. "Ho! Comes right after the mess."
Usually, they hunkered down, stabilized, then visited. Rushing meant overconfidence or begging. The munju's lip curled.
I'll see soon enough.
Decide then. Moments later, the visitor carrying a chest bowed silently. Seol Do-seung eyed Mu Yun with brimming curiosity.
"Heard you caused a scene?"
Time to show a hint of fear. "I had no choice. You must know the circumstances."
"Should I understand even that?"
"That's why I came to ask. What would it take to please you, Munju-nim?"
"Can you fix being on my bad side already?"
Mu Yun offered the promissory notes politely. "The old bangju skimmed off the top. Here it is."
But as he approached to set them down, a chill ran down his spine.
This!
His lips quivered in shock. The munju's subtle aura demanded it.
Peak Jeol-jeong or early Cho-jeol-jeong, they said.
Not surprise at the leaked inner power. Something else prickled every hair—a formless pressure imperceptible without Sin-gi Sim-ui Gong's hyper-senses. A beast in hiding. Cold sweat trickled past his ear.
I could die here.
Mu Yun cursed himself. The arrogance from leading the world's top force led to this blunder. Without power to protect himself, he should've probed deeper—not trusted this body's memories so blindly.
Meanwhile, a smirk played on Seol Do-seung's lips. The curiosity vanished. That flinching approach revealed Mu Yun's true measure. Conclusion: straightforward.
Just the right amount of fool.
A sudden curiosity struck the munju. "Ha Hu Sega opened the back gate for you."
"Traded Bo-ta Mun's true scripture for the favor."
"True scripture?"
"Got it by chance. Old thing, so I took it just in case—and it was real."
Facts could be checked later. No more questions. "Lucky bastard. Hope it holds."
"Thank you."
As he turned to leave, a secret sigh of relief escaped.
Moments later, at Jeok-un Mun's entrance. Two men rushed to the departing Mu Yun.
Thud-thud!
Hot-tempered Yeom Jung-tak spoke first. "Vice leader—no, bangju! It go well?"
"Would I be out if it didn't?"
"Phew! Thank goodness."
Mu Yun spilled his true feelings. "Damn lucky. Stuck my head in a tiger's mouth blind."
"You knew and went anyway—now you complain?"
"Just saying. Let's go."
Yeom Jung-tak bellowed to the surroundings. "Heh! Our era's here for real. Time to play hard!"
Only then did the hidden eyes from other black path factions vanish. Regret etched their faces. His safe return meant Jeok-un Mun recognized the new bangju—no more easy pickings.
Mu Yun exhaled inwardly. Turning disaster to fortune!
Even scouring past memories yielded no such aura. After a millennium, he couldn't read a mere early Cho-jeol-jeong? But it shook him, letting him slip the crouched beast's gaze.
Mu Yun's upturned eyes fixed on the distant sky. Today, starlight pierced thick clouds like blades into his chest. Hot breath seethed through gritted teeth.
Never again!
He'd learned plenty from past mistakes what one error wrought. No more of that. His resolve summoned immediate tasks. Outwardly, stabilize Cheong-ho Bang and play house. Secretly, cultivate Sin-gi Sim-ui Gong, hunt Cheok-go-ryeon's records. Untangle this body's past ties. More thoughts swirled as his gaze swept Chim-ju's streets, nostalgia welling.
The place he'd entered at fifteen a millennium ago, spending twenty years. Streets full of youthful memories. Yet nothing evoked those days. Buildings and roads aside, he'd expected hills or trees to linger.
Everything had changed. His eyes locked on one thing first.
The canals.
Vast waterways crisscrossed Chim-ju. Not one or two—these behemoths, over five jang wide, flowed everywhere. Dazed, Mu Yun stared until Yeom Jung-tak asked.
"What's up? What're you staring at?"
"Just... the more I look, the more impressive. How'd they build canals like this?"
Yeom Jung-tak snorted. "Canals? What nonsense? Just natural river branches."
"Huh? These 'rivers' formed in a thousand years... no, just appeared?"
"Bangju, you okay? They've been here forever."
"Even in ancient times..."
Yeom Jung-tak tsked pityingly. "What bullshit! Your eyes going bad?"
"Huh?"
"Look. How could humans make this? Even all Chim-ju's folk couldn't in a century. Right?"
"...?"
Looking again, it rang true a hundredfold. Artificial canals to him, ancient natural tributaries to others. He gaped, dumbfounded.